


Swallow

by longhairshortfuse



Series: Backstory 101 [6]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Cecil has depression, Drug Use, Dubious Consent, M/M, Sex not described in detail, Sexual Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts, post episode 101
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-21 01:44:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10675128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longhairshortfuse/pseuds/longhairshortfuse
Summary: Earl invites Cecil along on a family beach vacation. Cecil is dazzled by the display of humanity he sees during the day and wants to come back to the beach clubs at night. The boys have trouble getting into the local nightclubs until someone helps them. He seems like a nice man, but once inside Earl just can't save Cecil from himself.Cecil follows, head swimming a little but in a way he likes. He feels warm, relaxed, invulnerable. Blond pushes open the restroom door, looks it over and goes in. Brown comes in last and leans against the door to keep it closed. Cecil is still aware of the music, a muffled rhythmic thump that he can feel as much as hear. Blond and Brown are talking but not to him. Cecil giggles and points at his chest. "He-e-ey guys, right here. Don't I get a say in this?"





	Swallow

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to punkrockgaia for allowing me to borrow some aspects of her glorious glamtrash!Cecil for this.

"Hey Ceece? Ceece!"

It's Earl and he's excited. "I asked mom and dad and they said yes, you can come on vacation with us this summer. They booked a trip to... Mayammy? Meeamey? Anyway, it's in a state called Floreedah and you can come too. Please say yes."

Cecil smiles at Earl's enthusiasm. High school graduation is behind them and Cecil has no Big Plan for the summer. Aby still hasn't decided but thinks she wants to reapply to college if she can find the money for them both, but Cecil's internship doesn't pay enough and that has caused so many arguments at home that he doesn't want to be there any more.

"Come on! Say yes already!" Cecil nods, Earl hugs him. It will be good to get away.

It's a long drive. Earl's parents are up front and the boys share the back. Nobody talks much and Cecil finds himself drifting to something approaching but never quite reaching sleep, lulled by the soporific rumble and rocking of the car engine and the hissy-staticky radio stations that are played quiet but never quite tuned in. He's vaguely aware of Earl beside him, listening to his walkman and tapping his hand on his knee whilst staring out the window at the blurry scenery speeding past. He thinks that this is enough of a vacation in itself, to be rocked into a stupor with no expectation that he do or say anything, brain as tuned out and staticky as the car radio.

Earl's laughing and shaking his shoulder.  
"Hey sleepyhead! We're here."

 _Here_ is a holiday apartment in sight of the beach, if you crane your neck out of that one window. When they are given leave to explore, Cecil can't believe the smell of the beach: brine tang and heavy barbecue smoke and sweet coconut oil and heat. They dash straight into the ocean and shriek and dash straight back out again, eyes wide and mouths gaping. Cecil's shock makes him giggle.  
"I thought it would be warm!"  
Earl giggles too and takes Cecil's hand. "Come on, we're ready for it this time."  
They walk into the waves, acclimatising slowly but still too fast, gasping as the cool water laps knees, thighs, waists, until they have to float and swim. Cecil gets a mouthful, splutters and gags. Earl feels something touch his toes and squeals, but it's only a strand of seaweed. The sparkling sunlight reflected from the water dazzles and Cecil screws up his eyes. He stands with his back to the sun and looks around.  
"Earl? I want to get out now. Dry off. Ugh I'm such an idiot. I wish I'd remembered to bring sunglasses."

Earl's happy to follow Cecil, wading up the sloping sand, almost tripping. They walk along the cool damp sand with foamy wavelets occasionally washing over their toes until their shorts are mostly dry and their tan skin glistens. Earl wants to hold Cecil's hand again. There are plenty of couples strolling aimlessly or sitting on beach chairs and loungers, holding hands and kissing, but he doesn't dare. He nudges and points instead. "Want to look in there?"

It's a beach store with swimwear and shirts and souvenirs, and a revolving rack of sunglasses. Earl checks his allowance, carefully wrapped in a waterproof bag and sealed against the sea water, and decides there's enough. Cecil shakes his head. "Maybe later? I left my money at the apartment."  
"It's fine, I brought mine. I can lend you some and you can pay me back."  
They both pretend they believe the lie. On some level Cecil knows Earl's mom gave him extra with a secretive murmur to _be good to that poor boy of yours_ and it bothers him that he can't give anything in return. It makes him feel useless to be the one always taking and never giving, a burden the Harlans never asked for. Earl's eyes sting at his mom's assumption that Cecil is his boyfriend and he wonders if, maybe later under moonlight on the shore when the beach will be quiet except for the rushing waves, with a couple of beers in them, he could find the courage to tell Cecil how he feels without the silencing fear of consequences.  
Cecil nods and follows Earl up the beach, leaping on tiptoes across scorching sand to the cool, pale grey concrete of the promenade. They choose cheap sunglasses and gaudy flipflops, and Earl buys a postcard to send to Aby because he promised to let her know if Cecil was happy.

They walk back along the promenade. There's no need for words right now and Earl feels content. He watches as Cecil watches others from behind his mirrored plastic screens. Cecil looks relaxed. He smiles a little and shakes his shoulders loose and tries not to stare at the local vacation fashion for low waistbands that show toned abdomens with just a hint of down, gold chains on brown skins, hungry stares at supple bodies. Earl moves closer, not liking the way eyes flick up and down, appraising Cecil's body and approving its slender lines and hard angles. Cecil appears oblivious to the way he is drunk in and eaten up. He turns to Earl and grins. "Hey, let's come here again after dinner. I bet the bars would serve us."

He's wrong but that proves no obstacle to Cecil. They are back on the promenade, dressed as well as can be expected for two grown-up teens of limited means on a beach holiday. Earl's in clean shorts and a sensible polo shirt. Cecil is... Earl smiles. Cecil's look is certainly _distinctive._ He has a neon pink low cut vest top and white shorts that made Earl's mom raise her eyebrows. He's wearing the flipflops and sunglasses they bought earlier and his figure seems to be about seventy percent limbs. He spent as long on his makeup as he did agonising over his outfit and Earl knows that under the glasses there's a masterpiece in deep brown eyeliner and gold glitter. He's beautiful and he knows it.

By the third club they're turned away from, Earl's had enough and decides maybe tonight is as good a time as any to confess his crush.  
"Ceece, let's go sit on the beach. Tide's out so we can get pretty far out and–"  
He's interrupted by a man, maybe in his twenties, who swaggers up and casually drapes a friendly arm around Cecil.  
"Hey guys! Saw you tryna get into the clubs. Helpya out?"  
Earl's suspicious but the man introduces himself with a forgettable name, he's good looking with cropped blond hair and a nice smile, and he seems friendly. Earl smiles and offers a handshake, at least partly so that the man has to take his arm off Cecil. Cecil is over the moon.  
"Really? That is. So. Cool! Thank you!"  
"Sure," the man says. "Follow me. I know just the place for a cute couple of cubs like you."

It's a little further along and back a street. Earl watches their guide's hands as he slips the doorman some cash and the doorman looks away. And they're inside, the dim lights making everything look soft and warm. There are drinks in their hands and Earl offers to pay but their guide just grins and shakes his head. Earl sniffs the glass and takes a sip. It's too sickly for him and he just holds it, pretending to drink. Cecil's is gone within a minute and he's pulled away to dance. Earl finds a corner where he can watch Cecil and slips his unwanted drink onto a table already stacked with discarded glasses.

Cecil is having the time of his life. He's dancing and smiling and there are people around him. He's gyrating with the guy who got them in and bought them drinks, then someone else cuts in, a shorter dark-haired man, when the music slows. Cecil feels warm hands at his waist and someone else close behind him. He giggles and puts his arms around the neck of his brown-haired dance partner. There's a voice in his ear.  
_"The boy you came with, is that your boyfriend?"_  
Cecil laughs and shakes his head. This seems to be the right answer.  
_"You want something that'll make you feel real good?"_  
He frowns at that but Brown looks at him with a hint of a smile. Cecil shrugs. He feels a hand on his cheek, turning his head. It's Blond. There's something on his tongue, something small and pale and round. He holds Cecil's head and kisses him, pushing his tongue into Cecil's mouth, and Cecil feels the pill. He pulls back, surprised, but he swallows. His dance partners smile at him and the music picks up again and they dance more, close, touching, bodies and hands slipping over one another. Cecil feels everything more: the music is _intense,_ he's _connected_ to humanity for once and he's _horny as fuck._ Blond takes his hand and gestures at him to follow, while Brown steers him by the hips.

Earl is still sitting out the dancing but he's distracted. He's talking to some guy. He's talked to a few since he arrived and set up to wait for Cecil to get bored and demand gelato or something, but they all melt back into the crowd when they hear he came with someone or that he's on holiday with his parents or that he doesn't want a drink really, thanks, maybe some water. He can't see Cecil on the dance floor any more. He doesn't see Cecil in the throng at the bar either, but that's nothing to worry about yet. He reminds himself that Cecil is eighteen and an adult and able to take care of himself at a stupid nightclub.

Cecil follows, head swimming a little but in a way he likes. He feels warm, relaxed, invulnerable. Blond pushes open the restroom door, looks it over and goes in. Brown comes in last and leans against the door to keep it closed. Cecil is still aware of the music, a muffled rhythmic thump that he can feel as much as hear. Blond and Brown are talking but not to him. Cecil giggles and points at his chest. "He-e-ey guys, right here. Don't I get a say in this?"  
Blond looks annoyed but Brown slaps his ass and replies. "Sure, fella, we were just wondering which of us gets your smart mouth and which of us gets your tight ass."  
"O-o-oh!" Cecil feels his head spin but he's okay, he's still warm and fuzzy around the edges and giggly. "My ass is NOT," he winks at Brown, "as tight as you THINK!"  
Blonde laughs. "Okay babe, you choose."

It's over fast. Blond comes in his mouth and makes him retch and spit. Brown takes a little longer but makes it easier for Cecil to touch himself by pushing him against the wall instead of doubling him over while he finishes with a grunt. After, Cecil rinses his mouth at Blond's suggestion and uses the cubicle at Brown's. Earl finds him there eventually.  
"Ceece? You okay?"  
"Mm-hmm!" Cecil's still high. Earl watches him sway and drift then curses quietly. He takes both of Cecil's hands and pulls him upright.  
"C'mon, let's get you out of here."  
"I just had," Cecil slurs, "the BEST time ever!"  
Earl pulls Cecil out of the restroom and negotiates their way to the exit. Brown is there. Cecil blows him a kiss and he looks away. Earl bundles Cecil out of the club and into the warm night air.  
"I had him." Cecil boasts. "And the blond one. You know. Whatsisname." Earl stops and looks closely at Cecil. Cecil giggles again. "At the same time."  
"Oh Ceece, ugh you idiot. I hope you were safe."  
"Uuh I'm okay. I'm _fi-i-ine._ They gave me something that made me feel... Mmmhmmhmm. It felt _so goood_ being–"  
"CECIL! Focus!" Earl's angry now and trying to control it. "What did they give you?"  
"Dunno," Cecil confesses with a smirk. "But you could use some. Oh!" Cecil's eyes open wider and his hand covers his mouth. "Sorry. So sorry, Early. Y'know I don't mean it."  
"Come on," Earl grabs hold of Cecil's arm and steers him onwards. "We're going to get you some water and sit on the beach until whatever you've taken wears off enough for me to convince my mom you're just a little drunk."  
"Whatever you say, Early," Cecil smiles at Earl, kisses his cheek, and Earl's anger evaporates.

Down on the beach, looking out to sea where shipping lights flicker and blink, Cecil slurps water from a bottle and insists on being held. He's talkative and Earl fishes for more information on what happened in the club, but he hates everything he hears and stops asking. He'll find an excuse to take Cecil to get tested for infections at the nearest walk-in clinic tomorrow. Cecil relaxes with his head on Earl's shoulder and his arm around Earl's waist.  
"Early are you angry with me?"  
Cecil sounds tired now and Earl decides it's time to face his parents.  
"No, Ceece, I'm not. I'm angry with those assholes because they didn't look after you. They used you and left you."  
"Oh EarlyEarlyEarly it's okay. I'm sorry."  
"What?"  
"I'm sorry." Cecil swivels his head to look at Earl's face but Earl is staring at the lights. "That it can't be you..." Earl looks at Cecil but he's turned away again and all he sees is the top of Cecil's head with its smooth, black hair, "...that I fuck. Because I love you too much for that."  
Earl clenches his fists and squeezes out a frustrated tear.

Back at the apartment, Earl's mom fusses a little and makes Cecil drink another glass of water and go straight to bed. Earl promises not to let Cecil drink too much again and follows Cecil to their room. He slips into bed behind his friend.  
"Hey you awake?"  
"Uuu-huuh."  
"Promise me you won't go back there."  
"Anything for you, Early."

Cecil wakes during the night and feels Earl's arm around him. He can't remember how he got home. There was a blond guy and a club and a drink and after that it gets blurry. He gets up to get water and comes back to bed, shoving Earl over. Earl doesn't wake. Bits of memory come crashing back, piece by jigsaw piece, and Cecil groans. He'd cry if he could but the effort in producing silent tears feels like too much. He remembers a feeling, a blissful sensation that he was part of something bigger, that he was important and wanted and loved. He remembers the joy and the shame of strange bodies sliding over his, pushing and bending him in a way that he craved.

And although he knows it's fake, a chemical released by whatever was in his too-sweet drink or the little round pill Blond gave him, fooling him into believing he could have something, although he promised Earl he wouldn't go back, he cries with the shame of knowing that he will. The alternative, he thinks through teeth clenched around his own fist, gasping breaths that threaten to evolve into sobs, and desperately blinking eyes, would be to walk into the ocean until it swallows him whole.

**Author's Note:**

> Shit, I need to write them something happy soon.


End file.
